European Public Sphere: Interest Representation and Public Debate - JPM432
Title: European Public Sphere: Interest Representation and Public Debate
Guaranteed by: Department of International Relations (23-KMV)
Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences
Actual: from 2022
Semester: winter
E-Credits: 6
Examination process: winter s.:
Hours per week, examination: winter s.:1/1, MC [HT]
Capacity: 20 / 20 (20)
Min. number of students: unlimited
4EU+: no
Virtual mobility / capacity: no
State of the course: taught
Language: English
Teaching methods: full-time
Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan
enabled for web enrollment
priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
Guarantor: Mgr. Viera Martinková, Ph.D.
Teacher(s): Mgr. Viera Martinková, Ph.D.
Class: Courses for incoming students
Examination dates   WS schedule   Noticeboard   
Annotation
The course deals with the concept of the European public sphere and public debate in general and with interest representation and lobbying at the European level.

This is a Master's course taught as an elective seminar for students of the International Relations Programme (MV, MAIN), but also students of other Master's programmes and Erasmus and other exchange students interested in European decision-making, the public sphere and lobbying. There are no prerequisites; however, previous knowledge of the EU's political system is advantageous.
Last update: Martinková Viera, Mgr., Ph.D. (29.08.2024)
Aim of the course

The course aims to provide an advanced understanding of the European public sphere, the place of the public debate in European decision-making and interest representation and lobbying in the EU. It should give students a sound theoretical background, a broad understanding of decision-making practices related to public debate and interest representation, and everyday practices of European decision-making related to these issues.

Last update: Martinková Viera, Mgr., Ph.D. (29.08.2024)
Literature

Beyers, J. – Eising, R. – Maloney, W.A. (eds) (2011) Interest group politics in Europe: lessons from EU studies and comparative politics London; New York: Routledge

Bouwen, P. (2004) ‘Exchanging access goods for access: A comparative study of business lobbying in the European Union institutions’ European Journal of Political Research 43:337-369

Caporaso, J. A. – Min-hyung, K. (2009) ‘The dual nature of European identity: subjective awareness and coherence’ Journal of European Public Policy 16(1):19-42.

Checkel, J.T. – Katzenstein, P.J. (eds) (2009) European identity Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Coen, David – Richardson, Jeremy (2009) (eds.) Lobbying the European Union: institutions, actors, and issues Oxford: Oxford University Press

Follesdal, A. and Hix, S. (2006) ‘Why There Is a Democratic Deficit in the EU: A Response to Majone and Moravcsik’, Journal of Common Market Studies 44 (3): 533–

Fossum, J.E. - Schlessinger, P. (2007) (eds) The European Union and the Public Sphere: A Communicative Space in the Making? London: Routledge

Green, D. M. (2007) The Europeans: political identity in an emerging polity Boulder: Lynne Rienner

Greenwood, Justin (2011) Interest representation in the European Union Basingstoke, New York: Palgrave Macmillan

Koopmans, R. – Statham, P. (eds) (2010) The making of a European public sphere: media discourse and political contention New York: Cambridge University Press

Compulsory readings are listed in the syllabus for each class. An extensive list of further optional literature is available in Moodle.

Last update: Martinková Viera, Mgr., Ph.D. (02.09.2023)
Syllabus

Course structure and readings

 

 

1. Introduction 1/10

 

 

PART I EUROPEAN PUBLIC SPHERE

 

2. European Public Sphere – concepts, definitions and approaches 8/10

  • Fossum, J.E. - Schlessinger, P. (2007) The European Union and the Public Sphere: A Communicative Space in the Making? (Introduction). In: Fossum, J.E. - Schlessinger, P. (2007)

 

3.  EPS – relevance, emergence 15/10

  • Follesdal, A. and Hix, S. (2006) 'Why There Is a Democratic Deficit in the EU: A Response to Majone and Moravcsik', Journal of Common Market Studies 44 (3): 533–562
  • Greenwood, J. – Tuokko, K. (2017) 'The European Citizens' Initiative: the territorial extension of a European political public sphere?', European Politics and Society 18(2):166-181

 

4. Language, 22/10

 

  • Blichner, L.C. (2007) 'Political Integration in Europe and the need for a common European language' In Fossum, J.E. - Schlessinger, P. (2007)
  • Oleart, A., and Theuns, T. (2023) ‘Democracy without Politics’ in the European Commission's Response to Democratic Backsliding: From Technocratic Legalism to Democratic Pluralism. JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, 61: 882–899. https://doi-org.ezproxy.is.cuni.cz/10.1111/jcms.13411.

 

5. Media and public opinion, 29.10.

  • Lynggaard, K. (2021) The Roles of Images in EU Politics. Journal of Common Market Studies, https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.13176
  • de la Porte, C. – van Dalen, A. (2016) 'Europeanization of national public spheres? Cross-national media debates about the European Union's socio-economic strategy', European Politics and Society 17(3): 279-293

 

6. European identity: concept and emergence 5/11

  • Steiner, N. D., Berlinschi, R., Farvaque, E., Fidrmuc, J., Harms, P., Mihailov, A., Neugart, M., and Stanek, P. (2023) Rallying around the EU flag: Russia's invasion of Ukraine and attitudes toward European integration. JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, 61: 283–301. https://doi-org.ezproxy.is.cuni.cz/10.1111/jcms.13449.
  • Petrovic, V., Walo, S., Rössel, J., Katz-Gerro, T. and Lopez Belbeze, M.P. (2024) ‘Perceptions of a Shared European Culture Increase the Support for the European Union’, Journal of Common Market Studies. https://doi-org.ezproxy.is.cuni.cz/10.1111/jcms.13619.

 

PART II INTEREST REPRESENTATION AND LOBBYING

 

7. Interest Representation and Lobbying in the EU – introduction 12/11

  • Eising, R. (2017) 'Studying interest groups: methodological challenges and tools', European Political Science, 16(3):291-305
  • Bouwen, P. (2004a) 'Exchanging access goods for access: A comparative study of business lobbying in the European Union institutions' European Journal of Political Research 43:337-369

 

 

8.  Lobbying the European Commission – process and institutional conditions 19/11

  • Boräng, F. – Naurin, D. (2015) 'Try to see it my way!' Frame congruence between lobbyists and European Commission officials' Journal of European Public Policy 22(4): 499-515
  • van Ballaert, B. (2017) 'The European Commission's use of consultation during policy formulation: The effects of policy characteristics', European Union Politics 18(3): 406-423

 

 

9. Lobbying the European Parliament – process and institutional conditions 26/11

  • Marshall, D. (2012) Do rapporteurs receive independent expert policy advice? Indirect lobbying via the European Parliament's committee secretariat, Journal of European Public Policy, 19(9):1377-1395
  • Walter, S., Kinski, L., & Boda, Z. (2023). Who talks to whom? Using social network models to understand debate networks in the European Parliament. European Union Politics, 24(2), 410–423. https://doi-org.ezproxy.is.cuni.cz/10.1177/14651165221137994

 

 

10. Strategies and success – business and civil society groups 3/12

readings:

  • Dür, A. - Bernhagen, P. – Marshall, D.  (2015) 'Interest Group Success in the European Union When (and Why) Does Business Lose?' Comparative Political Studies 22(4): 570-587
  • DE BRUYCKER, I. and HANEGRAAFF, M. (2023), The people versus the money: What drives interest group influence in the European Union?. European Journal of Political Research. https://doi-org.ezproxy.is.cuni.cz/10.1111/1475-6765.12582

 

11. Regulating lobbying 10/12

readings

  • Bunea, A. (2017) 'Legitimacy through targeted transparency? Regulatory effectiveness and sustainability of lobbying regulation in the European Union', European Journal of Political Research 57(2):378-403
  • Font, N., and Pérez-Durán, I. (2023) Legislative Transparency in the European Parliament: Disclosing Legislators' Meetings with Interest Groups. JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, 61: 379–396. https://doi-org.ezproxy.is.cuni.cz/10.1111/jcms.13371.
  • Documents on the Transparency register:  http://ec.europa.eu/transparencyregister/info/homePage.do?locale=en#en

 

 

PART III IMPLICATIONS FOR EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY

 

12. European Public Space in the Making and its implications for democratic decision-making – 17/12

  • de Swaan, A. (2010) 'The European Void. The democratic deficit as a cultural deficiency.' In: Koopmans, R. – Statham, P. (2010)
  • Statham, P. (2010) 'What Kind of Europeanized Public Politics?' In: Koopmans, R. – Statham, P. (2010)
  • Saurugger, S. (2011) 'Interest Groups and Democracy in the European Union', In Beyers, J. – Eising, R. – Maloney, W.A. (eds) (2011)

 

Literature:

 

Compulsory readings are listed in the syllabus for each class. An extensive list of further optional literature is available in Moodle.

Last update: Martinková Viera, Mgr., Ph.D. (29.08.2024)